Thursday, 31 December 2009

My computer has been slow as their is some mistakes in the system. The seat is wintery since december is the month of cold in my house-land. Air force has been coming inside to my desk because the door is not wind-proof. Coming to office was a war situation today and everyone in office are missing as they want to come late and go early. I had some chewing gums in the morning which are very tasty to taste.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Dear Readers, the trick here is to commit errors to work as comedy! A colleague introduced me to the concept today morning, and I thought that the last post of the year should end on a smiling note! Chronicwriter has been my constant inspiration and I bow down to all those friends who have brought smile to my face during the past years!

Tuesday, 22 December 2009

So there is something happening in my office, a game, which goes like:

The Game ‘Secret Santa’ - You simply pick a chit with a name on it, and you’ll be the secret Santa for that person. Remember, don’t you leak out the name on your chit! Now it’s up to you to pamper the lucky one for the entire week starting tomorrow till weekend (Thursday, 24th Dec ’09).....

Got this mail on 21st December 2009 and on 22nd December 2009, when I went to the pantry for lunch, someone left a packed on my desk. I came back and knew that its my Secret Santa who has left the gift. It had a candle and some chocolate...

I am also playing secret santa for someone..

Author's Note: Wanted to thank my secret santa, since its a secret till 24th December, I thought of putting it on my blog!

Wednesday, 16 December 2009

Now if you are still cribbing that you could not reach your dream destination, then I would say that you were/are not yet passionate about it! And if you were very passionate about it, but now you feel hopeless about reaching there.. Think again? Is it the reality or is it the truth. I can bet you that further introspection can do the trick.

Loosing track of ones passion, according to me is one the the most dreaded deeds! Many of us are not happy with our profession, end up highly engrossed in it while not missing a single opportunity to crib about it. Off late I too lost track of my passion, the passion to write, the zeal to be able to express myself. And then I was introduced to the world of blogging, and I write whatever I feel like, and pass it on to the minuscule base of my readers. Thank you all for reading it. I feel pleased that the virtual world has made it all possible for me.

So in my own little world where I collect my dreams and aspirations, I have come across a lot of hidden traits in me. I find a lot of things possible today. So this post is particularly about exploring the imprints of our dreams. Is it the world which is making one loose track of our dreams? or is it us who are implicitly accepting to mend our ways to fit into the ideal image for the world?

So why not move out of your couch and explore your hidden talents. It doesn't really matter what profession one is into, a passionate follower will find time and energy spend on it. It could be anything, as simple as building forts in the air to capturing sunsetting calmly in a rowdy city! Drawing a dessert scene to experimenting with calligraphic traits. Making a visit to the old age home to taking long strolls on a weekend. Playing with street dogs to feeding pigeons. Enrolling in a dance class, learning swimming to experimenting in a theatre stage! Travelling, long drives, adventure, sports, yoga, aerobics, music, anything that can bring smile to your face and make you feel that life is not that bad as you thought. Such activities can emerge as your passion!

Author's Note: One should grow-up learning not to live on diagonal ends of a jinxed figure. Its the right time that one should stand up and reach out to his/her passion. And please for god sake don't compare yourself with what your mates have achieved in life, by doing this you are insulting your worth!

Well finally my sis is spiritedly awaken by my call! that shows how badly I wanted to recall that earth-shattering idea~~ Remember the one I mentioned in the previous blog.

So ladies and gentlemen.. that idea was to discuss how many of you get up and look at your face in the mirror.. I do get up and the first thing I do is to adore my face in a mirror, just next to my bed. Actually whenever I get up from my bed I laze around near the mirror, it is a ritual for me. This also happens whenever I try a smoky eye make up with a tinge of blue (my favourite colour) my foot get glued on the dressing table, adorning a ravisher! I don't feel conscious sharing anything with my mirror.. be it some wacky look or just out of the bed smudged kohl untidy hair prink.

What happened last night was that I asked my sister how many times does she adorn herself in front of the mirror. Her reply was many times.. Actually same as mine..... So I went into introspection wondering many of us don't miss to notice ourselves in the rear view mirror of car smartly parked on the road! Or who all of us try to figure out the impressive quotient by tilting a bit on the window panes of a hip-lifestyle showroom?

So much so that my cousin, who just crossed one year of his age, did not want to move away from his image casted on the window panes of a car. Every time I started walking, he shouted and insisted me to hold him so that we can stand right next to the car, and he kept looking at himself..

I have also found quite a few animals (by that I mean cows, cats and dogs) staring at their image on an object that acts as a mirror for them. I notice quite a few of living beings embellishing themselves. Getting in the philosophical mode, may I proclaim that whatever is done by masses is OK and whatever done by classes is cool! So this action of many of us is just okay!!

A few merits of facial adorning traits are as follows

~ You know how you are looking on a particular day

~ You get comfortable with your look

~ You experiment with your looks

Author's Note: Isn't it an earth-shattering blog post?? Well I forgot most of the points that I thought I will write in this post last night!!

In a day, with 24 hours or 24x60 minutes or 26x60x60 seconds... (pls do the calculations), whichever ways you would want to consider a day, I come across numerous blog post ideas! And by the time I am sitting in front of a comp, all set to jot a few word to upload on my blog, I am simply black. I am a thousand percent confident, in the backdrop of that amazing blog-post idea, that I will never forget it, but end up loosing track of it.

So I just thought of putting it on my blog. Yesternight, I has an earth shattering blog post idea. I specifically mentioned to my sister to remind me of the idea the next morning. And the fact that she gets up late I am still not able to figure out whether she remembered the idea or not.

This blog post is aimed at paying condolences to those amazing blog post ideas that are lost in the hustle-bustle of life. I am so sorry for the ideas that I just could not wrap them in a golden coffin of my virtual world and dump them forever on my blog.

Author's Note:I am waiting for my sister to wake up, so that I may know that status of the self proclaimed earth shattering blog idea :)

Thursday, 10 December 2009

My eyes were struck at the jacket displayed on a road-side shop. Considering the advent of winters, I really needed one! Making my way through a cluttered street, I was marching towards the shop. The task should be termed 'herculean', as on a Sunday evening, most of the people move out of their couch to vouch for shop-ables! In this backdrop, shopping turn into an achievement. Many voices were doing the rounds around me, but I did not bother as non of them sounded familiar to me. However I could make out someone coming towards me knows me. His style of walking, said it all. I noticed it even when my eyes were struck on the jacket, and the board which read 'For Sale'. He is an old friend, trying to convey that he is passing by, before saying a charming Hi!

Author's Note: Familiarity, is what I describe the incidental meeting in the story. The character struck on her shopping object.

The last few days were eventful especially with me finding childhood friends on facebook. We got to share a few messages and called up each other. Sure we are planning to meet. I did not know their surnames, but a little strategy took me to their profiles. Its simple just type down their name and search if their sibling's name is listed in their friends' list. Well if you dont know the name of any of their sibling, then make use of the stuff positioned inside your skull and strategies. You can just find anyone! Virtual world is amazing!

I also got to chat with a high school buddy 'Pratik'. Though did not interact much, but those few seconds spend with him were nostalgic. Remember how he looked when we use to tease him. How scared he was when I almost ran up a scooty on him. How he felt when I was a little loud with him. Sorry buddy, never wanted to hurt you!! I just cant get over that candy uncle who pestered him whenever the entire group stood for chat session in a busy market. His philosophies were just so cool! Sipping coffee in the winter evening at the shop around the corner! I even now at times go back to those unbeatable moments. Thanks to these networking sites, one is updated with mood / accomplishments / failures / farmville levels of the active members. One doesnt feel alienated on meeting after a long time.

Author's Note:I simply have to say that the time spend with friends can never be replaced. I miss it and look forward to meet them :). No matter what, those past memories will remain a part of me, and I will relish those good times forever!

Monday, 30 November 2009

Cyber world offers virtual farming on Facebook. It is a real time-farm simulation game developed by Zynga. According to wikipedia, the application has 63.7 million active users on November 9th, 2009.

It keeps coming up with new features, take stock of your level, makes you earn cash/coins. I enjoy it and keep glued to it even if I am dead tired. Coz I simply enjoy the feeling of being associated with farms. I have a barn house, Hot Air Balloon, a tractor, and what not! My friends keep gifting me Goats, Cows, Chicken, Reindeer, Horses etc.

I found a cat too, and three turkeys and my farm houses a windmill. Its a small virtual world which I can associate to, and It belongs to me. I customized myself into a virtual girl, with long red hair. I have to take care of the harvest, to avoid it from getting withered. As I keep getting more neighbors, I get an entitlement to expand my farm.

I can arrange the stuff as I wish to. During Haloween, I brought Tombstones, and some Jack-o-lanterns. I can help my friends by shoowing away the crows, or fox disturbing the animals of eating away the crop.This is Farmville offered as an application by the famous social networking site, facebook.

Author's Note: I am one of the active farmville addict! I know many people get bugged with it, but I cant stop to see my level scaling up!.

Monday, 23 November 2009

Being associated with industry lobby organisation exposes you to a lot of well analysed information across various sectors. This post is particularly dedicated to the defence sector, especially because I take pride in my army based ancestry.

But yes there are certain things I perceived during my education, as journalists are skilled to look at everything with suspicion. So I had a belief that defence people are authoritative. It was when Air Marshal P K Barbora's remark reflected on the front page of The Times of India. The story was formed around the military's resistance towards female pilots. His remarks strengthened my belief, ironically to realise that the world of media is full of wrong interpretations about remarks made by people in authority.

I have had my share of witnessing such episodes, during sessions with ministers. Media comes up with a completely new made-up story. I respect media as the watchdog of society, politics, commerce, etc. at the same time I realise media like anything else has its pros and cons.

So let me come back to the issue, as I decided to give some of my blog space to the Indian defence sector. Particularly to the speech made my Air Marshal Barbora at a session on 19th November 2009. His fearless, well analysed speech had substantial weight.

According to him,

Post independence, India had small civil aviation and a small tactical air force. Social thinking was inducted in governance through the PSU culture. Incentives and motivation for the private players were lacking. Financial system and availability of capital was nationalised, and impetus to private system was very low, and no level playing field existed for the private players. India missed out on mid-level technology and the founding blocks of the national Air Force went amiss. The governance structure was such that that the country went for an outright direct purchase. The sellers were happy and the nation was in a miserable condition. It was all dependant on the mercy of the suppliers to turn the tap on and supply, while India's hands were tight. Indian economy was not great and DRDO's did not had money. Ironically the phenomenal growth of educational system benefited only the west through brain drain.

Today, India is a rapidly growing economy, but we have not come to a single digit to what the global aviation industry is. China has produced the whole damn airbus, and we still pride ourselves if we have created just a part of plane. Systems and hurdles exists. There has to be participation from DRDO as well as private enterprises. We still live with so many regulations and exports sanctions. The national defence requirements from the private sector is minuscule. No private enterprise wold want to make investments to serve to a small market, they should therefore be allowed to venture overseas markets. The steps have been taken in the FDI domain, but these ought to be bold enough. Technological transfers have not been in actual terms, its just been assembling of equipments. Ding-dong battle carries on for years between the government in power and opposition. Infrastructural support from the government if required. Approximately 1000 acre on land is required only for civil aviation. The government must therefore evolve a national policy, and take advantage of global interdependence. Private sector must be allowed a freer hand, and should adhere to quality consciousness. Exports control for the private sector must be opened up, with of course a little regulations. We have adequate knowledge in IITs etc, this should be leveraged. The economy has to adhere to strong intellectual property norms. India must go indigenous.

Author's Note: I found his remarks democratic enough, changing my perception about the defence personnels! But this all has been said a lot, real work is missing. No matter what we talk about arms proliferation, ultimately the nation with the largest ammunition's is considered powerful on the global scale.

Asia and Africa are the most vulnerable continents where the AIDS pandemic has been spiralling due to lack of information. It is spread equally across the disadvantaged section of society as well as the well-to-do lot. Around 33.2 million people are living with this disease world-wide, as per the official figures which are supposed to be manipulated to the lower side, and many people would have been living in an ignorant state about carrying the infection, or due to no medical facilities in the locality. 90% of people have no knowledge about suffering from AIDS.

Last week I happen to witness the narration by an HIV positive man, whose wife is HIV positive too. They have a daughter who is fortunately not infected with the virus. The man, his wife and the daughter suffer from humiliation, discrimination and societal isolation. At the outset people perceive that he might have had unprotected physical relation (grossly unacceptable in the Indian society) with an infected person. Other reasons of the virus transmission are not considered at all.

While he was heartbroken, I recalled the AIDS prevention advertisement by ShabanaAazmi. In which she hugs HIV-Positive girl, spreading the message that the virus does not spread through casual contacts. Shaking hands, a peck on the cheek, hugging etc does not spread the HIV virus.

This is my stint with the topic:

Some 4-5 years ago. I was down with fever and had bad shivers. My parents decided to get me tested for Malaria. For the test, a pin supported by a plastic holder was supposed to be pricked on my finger. I was a bit apprehensive that the pin used on me is not sterilised, and I instantly pulled off my hand. On enquiring the person politely replied that we don't use unsterilized equipments. I was proud of my promptness and surprised with the politeness of the person at other end. This is the benefit of being informed, I could have carried a doubt but I cleared it at the moment. I have been particularly cautious to buy sterilised syringes. Unfortunately medical professionals in rural areas are reported to use unsterilised, corroded syringes repeatedly on patients. Nurses don'teven know how AIDS spread, they live with understanding that AIDS spreads as cough and cold. As per reports, it infects a person, during his/her most productive age. Discrimination at workplace often leads to the person getting sacked and being unable to afford treatment cost. Discrimination in society leads to lesser support.

Some features about the disease, this is not a diagnosis but a few facts:

AIDS / HIV - Positive status is incurable. Once you have it you have to live with it till death.

AIDS lowers the immunity of the infected person, and the person ultimately dies as is unable to fight diseases due to low immunity.

HIV is the virus and AIDS is a disease. Being HIV positive does not mean that the person is affected with AIDS, its when an HIV positive person starts showing the symptoms of AIDS and have been confirmed with the disease through a test.

Antiretroviral drugs are available to make an infected person survive for a longer time. This helps in delaying an infected person to switch from HIV - positive status to AIDS

Antiretroviral drugs have to be consumed everyday without fail

NGOs and social organisations have been fighting with the stigma associated with HIV-AIDS. A person suffering from AIDS and witnessing stigma or discrimination can complain with NACOhere

Amongst the educated ones, who feel that they don't know much about the virus and the disease, can do a bit of google search, or dial AIDS toll-free helpline at 1800-180-2008 from BSNL/MTNL numbers, or 0172-266217 from other telephone networks. The Government of India's initiative National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) also runs a telephonic helpline for people suffering from AIDS as 1097. The society can come together and disseminate as much information as possible about how it is spread and how it can be prevented. Wikipedia also pays a considerable web-page share for AIDS. To visit the page Click Here.

Friday, 13 November 2009

Murphy's law states that, 'If anything can go wrong, it will'. Thus the statement applies to the law itself. So we are taking the highway, it doesn’t really matter that the tyre will go flat, or the car breaks down or the murphy's law is proclaimed invalid!

It will be cluttered, you see, its getting dark and all the big wagons will take the highway, he said with a blushing tone, trying to avoid a long drive on the highway.

I started staring outside, unfazed with the very logical excuses, expecting that he will take the way as I suggested.

Thursday, 12 November 2009

Yesterday I wore denim jacket while commuting to and fro, and today carrying a sweater. Welcome to the winter sessions in Delhi, saw many people in warm attire. This will stay for some 4-5 months, sometime during the middle of winters, temperature will drop to the freezing point.

Like everything, winters have its negatives and positives.. The trick is how one can capture the positives and negate the negatives. The only negative for me about winters is that I develop bad headache during extreme cold/hot weather. And getting out of the bed in a winter morning in itself a huge task, all I wish to do is get into my bed and gorge some gajak n peanuts.

Thursday, 22 October 2009

Yes! This one comes for you.. Remember the way you smartly took the newspaper from my hand today morning. And you loved reading it too, as it was a change from my suggestion (read Hindu everyday) to something better and refreshing (read Hindustan Times). So how important is it to read a newspaper?

I have been giving lectures to my siblings as to why they should not miss reading the newspaper. We all know why is it crucial for students, professionals, people on a whole. The logic of suggesting reading Hindu is not the point here. Its just that I want you to develop reading as a habit. Read as much as one can, read anything. It really helps!

I can write really a lot on how reading is beneficial. But putting it in Gen Y's term my dear chicks and dudes.. its cool to be informed! Almost everyone has access to newspapers, they are preferred over e-papers, and the infinite world of virtual information! I have subscribe to email newsletters from Economic Times, but nothing quite matched the fun of holding a paper sheet and scanning through the page.

- Your dream college is enrolling for the dream course. Sure if you read newspaper smartly enough you are not gonna miss it. Sure you have to prepare for the exam, but applying for it is the first step to get into it.

- Word Builder: Just could not get where the hell people get the coolest world from. Dude, its the morning paper that the vendor throws everyday in your veranda. Please take pain (if you would want to really call it pain) to read it.

- Knowledge of things happening: Okay, politics, business, economy, international relation etc has got nothing to do with you. But there is actually nothing wrong in knowing about it. The transition from pseudo-intellect to and intellectual happens through information and knowledge. Newspapers in regional languages in India has really empowered the masses, with information from RTI, consumer rights, to ambani's rift.

- General Knowledge: If you feel that you are not suppose to know who's is the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission.. think again. I got this question for selection in a multinational entity. Knowing about people in key position adds to your intellect and shows one is aware the world.

- Spicy gossips anyone! Refer to the lifestyle pages. They too are full of cool words and jazzy slang's. These colourful pages add up to the feel good factor of monotonous life. My colleague taught me how to really scan through the lifestyle pages :-)

Author's Note:This post is purely for the purpose of getting someone in the habit of reading newspapers.

Wednesday, 21 October 2009

I love winters, as much as I love summers, spring and Autumn.. Each season bring along memories. I am sure some 'I's' around.. Yes sis I know you love it too.

Diwali marks the advent of winters. These days its cold at night and in the morning, while through the day one would feel right in the mid June.

While on my way back home yester-night I was rather scared how will I cope with deadly winters. My sister smiled back and said, Di its nice time.. Everything is beautiful when its cold. I know there are many other things she wanted to tell me about winter, but she knew that my head is aching badly and all I want is to get home ASAP. Just listing some of the most obvious things that kay wanted to tell me:

Tuesday, 20 October 2009

Well its coming a little late, but in full Spirits.. Wishing you all a very happy Diwali. It is festival of lights, sweets and gifts! It was celebrated on the 17th October 2009.

While I am least concerned about the puja part, I had to participate in on as a part of family decorum. The moment the puja was over, I hopped on to sweets. That's the best part about the festivities. I just love to gorge on anything delicious. I am sure even if I gain a hundred kilos I will never be able to stop myself from having good food. Secondly the lights, I love the feeling but ironically the twinging lights coming inside my room from the shield of a window and curtain is still irritating posing as a hindrance to get me asleep. And about gifts, ask yourself who don't like gifts.. We all love it, isn't it??

The most amazing part, and sadly the most unfortunate part is the crackers bursting. It take the pollution levels to a toll. My little cousin, who is not even a year old was to be hospitalised. He got respiratory infection due to increased pollution. I myself has been advocating crackers free diwali within my family. Thankfully my siblings subscribe to same school of though. But people don't despite being well apprised abut the noise and environmental pollution.

Author's Note: I strongly feel that people turn blind eye to anything bad! Same goes with pollution. We all must celebrate festivals with true spirits to maintain cleanliness in the air, water and land around. I don't really know this post will be of any persuasion, but still I wanted to speak it through my blog.